Meaning & use
anything under the sun
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
every possible thing or subject you could think of; used to say a range is unlimited.
Grammar: Acts like a pronoun phrase and can be the object of a preposition or verb: talk about anything under the sun.
Patterns
- talk about anything under the sun
- ask about anything under the sun
- anything under the sun
At that market you can buy anything under the sun, from fresh fish to old radios.
She loves talking about anything under the sun, so conversations with her never get boring.
The website promises information on anything under the sun, but some pages are empty.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
used to emphasize that no subject or topic is excluded from a discussion or activity.
Grammar: Often follows verbs such as discuss, ask, or know to show a completely open range.
Patterns
- discuss anything under the sun
- know about anything under the sun
The podcast covers anything under the sun, so each episode feels different.
You can ask me anything under the sun; I promise not to be shocked.
Common combinations
- talk about anything under the sun
- After dinner we talked about anything under the sun until midnight.
- anything under the sun
- He seems to know something about anything under the sun.
- ask about anything under the sun
- Students were allowed to ask about anything under the sun.
- anything and everything under the sun
- The shop sells anything and everything under the sun.
Synonyms and how they differ
- everything imaginable
- This is a more neutral phrase; it stresses that nothing is left out, while 'anything under the sun' sounds more relaxed and conversational.
- all sorts of things
- This means many different things, but not necessarily every possible one, so it is less absolute than 'anything under the sun'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: anything under the sun or nothing new under the sun?
anything under the sun vs nothing new under the sun
This is a different fixed phrase from the Bible; it means that nothing in life is truly new, not that every topic is possible.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'anything under the sun' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
The phrase describes an unlimited range of things available or discussed, so 'The bakery sells anything under the sun' fits. The other options use it in places where a plain word like 'something' or 'exhausted' would be needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anything under the sun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.